This invention relates to liquid atomizer pumps. In particular, this invention relates to small hand-held, finger-operated dispensers involving pump assemblages as distinguished from pressurized aerosol containers and valves.
Hand-held atomizer pumps are known in the art, e.g., see U.S. Pat. No. 3,159,316. Among the features that are desirable in a hand-held atomizer pump are that the pump be easily primed, that it provide a leak resistant assembly when attached to a container, particularly when the container is subjected to pressure or is stored on its side or inverted. Further, it is desirable to utilize as few parts as possible in the construction of the pump and to keep the parts relatively simple to achieve low cost for the production and assembly of the pump. Another desirable feature is that the pump be permanently attached to the closure member, i.e., cap or ferrule by the pump manufacturer before shipping the pump to the customer. While some of the prior art pumps may possess some of the desirable features set forth above, no one pump is known to possess all of these features. Thus, it can be readily seen that there is a real need for an improved finger-operated spray pump.